Greek Lamb Burgers
Ingredients
- 907 g ground lamb or a combination of lamb and beef (see cook's tip #1)
- 1 small red onion, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 240 ml chopped fresh parsley
- 10 mint leaves, chopped
- 2 ½ tsp dry oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsppaprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil (I used private reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil)
To Serve:
- Warm Greek pita bread or buns
- Homemade tztaziki sauce
- Sliced tomatoes
- Sliced green bell pepper
- Sliced cucumbers
- Sliced red onions
- Pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
- Crumbled feta
Instructions
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Heat an outdoor gas grill or an indoor griddle to medium (if working with an indoor griddle or skillet, you can just heat it once you prepare the meat mixture).
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Add the ground lamb (or mix of lamb and beef) to a mixing bowl. Add grated onions, garlic, fresh herbs, oregano, cumin, paprika and cayenne. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and mix until everything is well combined.
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Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal balls. Using both hands, work meat into smooth spheres, then lightly press to form into patties.
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Arrange the patties on a large tray or dish, and with the tip of your thumb, press lightly to form a shallow, somewhat wide, depression into the centre of each patty. (See cook's tip #2 below) Cover and refrigerate, if you have the time.
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Lightly oil the grill grates (or indoor griddle) and arrange the burger patties on top.
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Grill over medium heat, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once midway through cooking (internal temperature for a medium burger should register 160 degrees F. Adjust cooking time according to your desired doneness.)
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Allow the lamb burgers to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
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Serve in pita pockets (or buns), with tztaziki sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions. If you like add Kalamata olives and a sprinkle of feta.
Notes
Cook's Tip #1: You can use a mixture of l lb ground lamb and 454 g ground beef, if you are not sure about an all-lamb burger. And you can certainly make these with beef instead if that is your strong preference.
Cook’s Tip #2: The meat will contract and push up in the centre as the patties cook; making a little depressing in the middle of each patty helps to keep the burgers hold their flat shape and cook evenly.
Cook's Tip 3#: You can cut this recipe in ½ to serve 4 people or less. You can also double or triple it to serve more people.
Skillet Cooking Instructions: If you want to cook these lamb burgers indoors on skillet. Heat an oiled cast iron skillet. Cook on one side over medium-high heat until browned (about 5 minutes), then turn over and cook on the other side until browned, another 5 to 6 minutes or to your desired doneness.
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Imported from Mela.
